NEW: Premier Doug Ford in Huntsville today for his daily update - he's at a Shoppers Drug Mart - perhaps about to announce #covid19 testing in pharmacies
Premier says testing needs to be expanded earlier and as easy as getting a flu shot. Starting Friday up to 60 pharmacies will offer #Covi19 testing (he has said in the past about 2-thousand would take part)
Premier also says Mt Sinai, Women's College, UHN will offer saliva testing (he said this yesterday as well) and promises more will be released on testing strategy tomorrow #covid19
Health Minister Christine Elliott says #covid19 testing in the 60 pharmacies is for asymptomatic people only, they will go by appointment only and will have to do a pre-testing to ensure they have no symptoms before being tested.
Premier Ford is asked how many people are turned away from crowded assessment centres - he answers by saying Ontario has tested more people than the rest of the country combined and promises to ramp up testing and take the load off the system. #covid19
Premier is asked if he will consider shutting schools down (2 have been so far out of the 180 impacted with cases - there are 4,828 schools in ON) "everything is on the table" he says, adding the system is working but he won't hesitate to shut them all again if necessary #covid19
Premier blames Health Canada for not approving rapid antigen tests. "I'm hearing crickets" he says, asking how they are expected to plan ahead. #covid19
Health Minister Christine Elliott says saliva tests being offered in 3 hospitals will initially be done along with current nasal swabs to ensure their effectiveness #covid19
She also says the current recommendation from the Health table is for anyone who wants to be tested to have the opportunity regardless of whether they have symptoms or not #covid19
"We're kicking Alberta's butt, I love Jason (Kenney) he's a pal of mine." Premier Ford when asked why Ontario is 3 months behind Alberta in pharmacy testing for #covid19
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BREAKING: Parents will not be notified of Covid outbreak at their child's school until there is 30% absenteeism rate among staff and students. Focus is to keep schools open by replacing sick teachers w retired and student teachers #onpoli
Each student and teacher will get two rapid tests to be used if symptomatic. More rapid tests hopefully to come. School based vaccine clinics will begin with emphasis on age 5-11. Only 47% have first dose #onpoli
What strikes me after listening to this news conference is there is a shift from the government from trying to control covid in schools and closing them to accepting it will be there. Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Moore repeated that Omicron is not severe in most children
Health Minister Christine Elliott begins news conference. She says 2,500 ICU beds are available and can add another 500. (however staffing them is proving to be a massive problem as frontline workers get sick) #onpoli
Minister Elliott says the province will use internationally educated nurses in hospitals and LTC homes to help with staffing shortage.
Minister Elliott says "extra measures" government has taken will make schools safer and the delay has given teachers extra time to get boosters.
I'm in the hospital today for my regular cancer checkup and blood work (I'm here at least twice a month).
It is busier than I have ever seen it before. So many cancer patients, not enough staff, the ones who are here are exhausted yet somehow still smile at you with their eyes
The lineup for bloodwork snaked around the first floor, many patients who can barely walk had to somehow muster up the strength to stand and slowly make their way through it. There aren't enough chairs for them.
Staff tell me many of their colleagues have come down with COVID. CT scans had to be delayed because all but one in the department were home sick.
BREAKING: Ontario begins new restrictions Wed for min 3 wks
Schools CLOSED to in class learning till at least Jan 17th
Non emergent surgeries paused
Gathering indoors capped at 5 outdoors 10
Employees work remotely unless necessary
Indoor dining/bars closed
Stores malls cap @50%
Premier Ford now speaking, says the province faces a "tsunami" of Omicron and is now bracing for impact.
He says data shows about 1% of people who get it face hospitalization and hundreds of thousands of new cases are expected
Ford says modelling shows Ontario could be thousands of beds short in the coming weeks (not to mention health care workers who are getting sick)
Some personal news:
The scariest words ever said to me were "You have cancer". Now 11 years later I have heard words that are even more frightening. "Your cancer is back. Stage 4." I found out two days before Christmas and I admit it has taken time to process.
It's easier because I have done this before. It's harder because I have done this before. But I have hope. (We are nothing without hope).
In February I started a clinical drug trial for targeted chemo. The side effects are tough but...it's worth it. I had a CT scan and the treatment is working!! The cancer is not progressing and in fact it has shrunk by 30%, so don't count me out. I got this.
#BREAKING: modelling from Health Science Table finds control of pandemic improving. Encourages outdoor activities and maintaining some public health measures till mid June. As for re-opening schools, it says it will create an increase in cases "but this may be manageable"#onpoli
"our picture today looks different, the direction of the pandemic has turned." Dr. Steini Brown begins the Science Table Briefing. #onpoli
Dr. Steini Brown says Ontario can have good summer if pace of vaccinations continue. He says models suggest if Ontario reopens June 2 there will be rise in cases, if wait till mid June better it will be better. He calls them "challenging tradeoffs, none of them without risk"